There’s just a quarter left in the 2016 NFL season.
All 32 teams have just four more games remaining, and there’s still plenty at play in each conference.
The AFC is particularly competitive. The top two seeds and three of the four division races are far from decided, and the wild card battle should be intriguing all the way through to the end.
Here’s an updated look at the playoff picture after a thrilling Week 13.
AFC
East: New England Patriots (10-2)
West: Oakland Raiders (10-2)
North: Baltimore Ravens (7-5)
South: Houston Texans (6-6)
In the hunt for a wild-card spot: Kansas City Chiefs (9-3), Denver Broncos (8-4), Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5), Miami Dolphins (7-5), Buffalo Bills (6-6), Tennessee Titans (6-6)
The Raiders have the tiebreaker over the Patriots by way of record versus common opponents. However, Oakland has a tough schedule remaining with games against Kansas City, Denver and San Diego — all on the road. The Raiders-Chiefs matchup on Thursday night could be the difference in the AFC West race.
The Ravens lead the Steelers in the North on a tiebreaker, and they’ve won four of their last five games. Baltimore does have a difficult remaining schedule with games against the Patriots, Steelers and Dolphins.
The AFC South is anyone’s to win. Houston and Tennessee both are 6-6, and the Colts will join with a win over the New York Jets on Monday night. The Titans (Broncos and Chiefs) and Colts (Raiders and Vikings) have the tougher schedules among these three teams.
The second-place team in the AFC West is almost certain to earn one of the two wild-card spots, and it’s very possible two wild-card teams could make it from this division.
The Dolphins’ chances took a step back with a loss to the Ravens on Sunday. Not only did the Dolphins fall a game behind the Ravens, they lost the head-to-head tiebreaker against Baltimore. The Bills blew a second-half lead to the Raiders on Sunday, and Buffalo’s playoff chances took a major hit as a result.
NFC
East: Dallas Cowboys (11-1)
West: Seattle Seahawks (8-3-1)
North: Detroit Lions (8-4)
South: Atlanta Falcons (7-5)
In the hunt for a wild-card spot: New York Giants (8-4), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5), Washington Redskins (6-5-1), Minnesota Vikings (6-6), Green Bay Packers (6-6)
The Cowboys are guaranteed at least a wild-card spot and can clinch the NFC East with a win over the Giants next Sunday night.
The Seahawks have opened a nice lead in the NFC West over the second-place Arizona Cardinals (5-6-1). Seattle also has a small lead over Detroit for the conference’s No. 2 seed. The Lions, who own a two-game lead over Minnesota and Green Bay in the North, do have to play the Giants, Packers and Cowboys over their last four games, which is brutal.
The Buccaneers won their fourth straight game Sunday and are tied atop the NFC South with the Falcons. Atlanta has the easier remaining schedule with games against the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams still left.
The Giants should secure a wild-card spot, but their disappointing loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday won’t make New York fans very confident. The Redskins still have very winnable games against the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and Panthers remaining, but their Week 17 showdown against the Giants might be a winner-take-all affair.
Thumbnail photo via Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports Images
